• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.211-216
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• 2008

TREK (TWIK-RElated $K^+$ channels) and TRAAK (TWIK-Related Arachidonic acid Activated $K^+$ channels) were expressed in COS-7 cells, and the channel activities were recorded from inside-out membrane patches using holding potential of - 40 mV in symmetrical 150 mM $K^+$ solution. Intracellular application of an oxidizing agent, 5,5'-dithio-bis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), markedly decreased the activity of the TREK2, and the activity was partially reversed by the reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). In order to examine the possibility that the target sites for the oxidizing agents might be located in the C-terminus of TREK2, two chimeras were constructed: TREK2 (1-383)/TASK3C and TREK2 (1-353)/TASK3C. The channel activity in the TREK2 (1-383)/TASK3C chimera was still inhibited by DTNB, but not in the TREK2 (1-353)/TASK3C chimera. These results indicate that TREK2 is inhibited by oxidation, and that the target site for oxidation is located between the amino acid residues 353 and 383 in the C-terminus of the TREK2 protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.114-126
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• 2019

This paper introduces three ways to determine host-guest complexation of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) with homocysteine (Hcy). After preincubating Hcy and cysteine (Cys) with CB[7], Ellman's reagent (DTNB) was used to detect Hcy and Cys. Only Cys reacted with DTNB and Hcy gave a retarded color change. This suggests that the -SH group of Hcy is buried inside CB[7]. Human cystathionine ${\gamma}-lyase$ (hCGL) decreased the level of Hcy degradation after preincubating Hcy and CB[7]. These results suggest that the amount of free Hcy available was decreased by the formation of a Hcy-CB[7] complex. The immunological signal of anti-Hcy monoclonal antibody was decreased significantly by preincubating CB[7] with Hcy. The ELISA results also show that ethanethiol group ($-CH_2CH_2SH$) of Hcy, which is an epitope of anti-Hcy monoclonal antibody, was blocked by the cavity in CB[7]. Overall, CB[7] can act as a host by binding selectively with Hcy, but not Cys. The calculated half-complexation formation concentration of CB[7] was 58.2 nmol using Ellman's protocol, 97.9 nmol using hCGL assay and 87.7 nmol using monoclonal antibody. The differing binding abilities of Hcy and Cys towards the CB[7] host may offer a simple and useful method for determining the Hcy concentration in plasma or serum.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.514-521
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• 2022

We report the effect of pH on the supramolecular complexation of two biothiols, viz., homocysteine (Hcy) and cysteine (Cys), with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). Under basic pH conditions, Cys did not complex with CB[7], whereas Hcy efficiently complexed with CB[7], as confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and Ellman's reagent (5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), DTNB) assay. ¹H NMR and Raman spectroscopic studies revealed that, in the absence of CB[7], Hcy auto-oxidized slowly (~36 h) to homocystine (HSSH) under basic pH conditions. However, the rate of Hcy oxidation increased by up to 150 fold in the presence of CB[7], as suggested by the DTNB assay. Thus, supramolecular complexation under basic pH conditions led to the formation of a HSSH-CB[7] complex, and not Hcy-CB[7]. The results indicate that Hcy is rapidly oxidized to HSSH under the catalysis of CB[7], which acts as a reaction chamber, in basic pH conditions. Our studies suggest that Hcy concentration, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can be selectively and more easily quantified by supramolecular complexation with CB [7].

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2003

Cytoplasmic $\alpha$-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from fruit-bat-breast muscle was purified by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was approximately 120 units/mg of protein. The apparent molecular weight of the native enzyme, as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 was $59,500{\pm}650$ daltons; its subunit size was estimated to be $35,700{\pm}140$ by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The true Michaelis-Menten constants for all substrates at pH 7.5 were $3.9{\pm}0.7\;mM$, $0.65{\pm}0.05\;mM$, $0.26{\pm}0.06\;mM$, and $0.005{\pm}0.0004\;mM$ for L-glycerol-3-phosphate, $NAD^+$, DHAP, and NADH, respectively. The true Michaelis-Menten constants at pH 10.0 were $2.30{\pm}0.21\;mM$ and $0.20{\pm}0.01\;mM$ for L-glycerol-3-phosphate and $NAD^+$, respectively. The turnover number, $k_{cat}$, of the forward reaction was $1.9{\pm}0.2{\times}10^4\;s^{-1}$. The treatment of the enzyme with 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) under denaturing conditions indicated that there were a total of eight cysteine residues, while only two of these residues were reactive towards DTNB in the native enzyme. The overall results of the in vitro experiments suggest that $\alpha$-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of the fruit bat preferentially catalyses the reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to glycerol-3-phosphate.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.692-697
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• 2011

To investigate the pathways of oxidoreductases in plants, 2 key components in thioredox systems i.e. thioredoxin h (Trx h) and NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase (NTR) genes were first isolated from tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Subsequently, the coding sequences of Trx h and NTR were inserted into pET expression vectors, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In the UV-Visible spectra of the purified proteins, tomato Trx h was shown to have a characteristic 'shoulder' at ~290 nm, while the NTR protein had the 3 typical peaks unique to flavoenzymes. The activities of both proteins were demonstrated by following insulin reduction, as well as DTNB reduction. Moreover, both NADPH and NADH could serve as substrates in the NTR reduction system, but the catalytic efficiency of NTR with NADPH was 2500-fold higher than with NADH. Additionally, our results reveal that the tomato Trx system might be involved in oxidative stress, but not in cold damage.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.483-489
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• 1998

We carried out the expression and characterization of yeast thioredoxin system including thioredexin 1 (Trx1), Trx2, thioredoxin reductase (TR), and a novel thioredoxin (Trx3), which was reported in the data base of Saccharomyces genome. The Trx1, 2 and TR were expressed as soluble proteins in E. coli and the sizes of purified proteins were equal to the reported their molecular weights. The expressed Trx3 was found in both soluble fraction and precipitate. The size of Trx3 purified from soluble fraction of E. coli crude extracts was estimated as 14 kDa on SDS-PAGE instead of 18 kDa for Trx3 in precipitate. N-terminal amino acid sequence of the small size of purified Trx3 from soluble fraction was analyzed as FQSSYTS which is correspond to the sequence from 20 to 26 for Trx3. Trx3 together with thioredoxin reductase and NADPH was able to reduce the disulfide bridge of insulin and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). Trx3 stimulated the antioxidant effect of thioredoxin peroxidase 1 (TPx1) which inhibited inactivation of glutamine synthetase (GS) in dithiothreitol (DTT) containing metal catalyzed oxidation system. The stimulation effect of Trx3 was 10% of the effect of either Trx1 or Trx2. In addition, Trx3 could reduce the disulfide of TPx to thiol, so that the TPx had thioredoxin dependant peroxidase activity. In western blotting analysis, antibodies against purified Trx3 did not cross-react with crude extracts of yeast, purified Trx1, and Trx2 proteins. But, in PCR reaction using the cDNA library of yeast as a template, gene encoding of trx3 was amplified.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 1985

Mechanism of calcium transport inhibition of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by oxygen free radicals was examined. Effects of oxygen free radicals generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) system on isolated porcine ventricle SR were studied with respect to its calcium binding, lipid peroxidation, SH-group content and alteration of membrane protein components. The results are as follows. 1) Calcium binding of isolated SR was markedly inhibited by X/XO. 2) During the incubation of sarcoplasmic reticulum with xanthine/xanthine oxidase, there were marked inclose in lipid peroxidation and reduction of SH-group content. 3) An antioxidant, p-phenylenediamine effectively prevented the lipid peroxidation but partially prevented the calcium binding inhibition of X/XO treated SR. 4) The reduction of SH-group content of SR treated with X/XO was partially prevented by p-phenylendiamine. 5) When modifying SH-group of SR by treatment with DTNB, the inhibition of calcium binding activity was partially prevented. 6) On gel-permeation chromatography of X/XO-treated sarcoplasmic reticulum, there was an increase of small molecular weight products, probably protein degradation products. 7) Semicarbazide, which prevents the cross-linking reaction of protein components, did not affect the calcium binding inhibition of X/XO-treated SR. From these results, it is suggested that the inhibition of calcium binding of SR by oxygen free radicals results from the consequence of multiple changes of SR components, which are lipid peroxidation, SH-group oxidation and degradation of protein components.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.408-413
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• 1995

Decrease in the amount of cotyledonary spermidine in Glycine max under anaerobic conditions related to an increase in spermidine dehydrogenase. Under the same conditions, no enzymatic activity of diamine oxidase was observed. Exposure of Glycine max both to spermidine and 1,3-diaminopropane under anaerobic conditions resulted in a decrease in spermidine contents. Correlated with the decrease in spermidine contents, there was a drastic increase in spermidine dehydrogenase. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme estimated by Sephacryl S-300 gel column and SDS gel electrophoresis were 130,000 dalton and 65,000 dalton, respectively, indicating that the enzyme is a dimer. The optimal pH for activity was 9.3. The $K_m$ value for spermidine was 0.61 mM. Neither metal ions nor polyamine and derivatives affected enzymatic activity, but the enzyme was inhibited by DTNB, NEM and PCMB, suggesting that a cysteine residue of the enzyme is associated with or involved in enzyme activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing properties of the enzyme from plants. Considered together, the data in this paper indicate that both spermidine and 1,3-diaminopropane, novel activators, enhance the spermidine dehydrogenase activity and control the intracellular spermidine contents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.899-902
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• 2005

Peptide assimilation by Helicobacter pylori was investigated using L-phenylalanyl-3-thia-phenylalanine (PSP) as a detector peptide; the release of thiophenol upon enzymatic hydrolysis of PSP was spectrophotometrically detected with the aid of 5,5'-dithiobis[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB). By adding PSP to whole-cell suspension, thiophenol was produced progressively, resembling that found in Esherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. Interestingly, the rate of thiophenol production by H pylori in particular was markedly reduced when cells were pretreated with trypsin, indicating surface exhibition of peptidase. According to the competitive spectrophotometry using alanyl-peptides, H pylori did not appear to assimilate PSP through the peptide transport system. No discernible PSP assimilation could be ascertained in H pylori cells, unless provided with some additives necessary for peptidase activity, such as $Ni^{2+}\;or\;Mg^{2+}$ and an appropriate concentration of potassium or ammonium salts. These observations strongly suggest that, regardless of a presumptive peptide transport system, peptide assimilation of H. plori appears to be highly dependent upon milieu conditions, due to unique peptidase exhibition on the cell surface.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 1991

Effect of a sulfhydryl reagent, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB), on the transport of succinate was studied in brush border (BBMV) and basolateral (BLMV) membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit renal cortex. PCMB induced an irreversible inhibition of the $Na^+-dependent$ succinate uptake in a dose-dependent manner with $IC_{50}$ of 55 and $65\;{\mu}M$ in BBMV and BLMV, respectively. The inhibitory effect of PCMB was prevented by a pretreatment of vesicles with dithiothreitol. PCMB did not increase $Na^+$ permeability at concentrations inhibiting succinate uptake. The PCMB inhibition of succinate uptake was due to a change in Vmax, but not in Km. When membrane vesicles were pretreated with PCMB in the presence of unlabelled succinate, the inhibitory effect was significantly reduced. In both BBMV and BLMV, succinate uptake was inhibited by various sulfhydryl reagents with the inhibitory potency of following order: $HgCl_2$>DTNB>PCMBS>PCMB. These results suggest that sulfhydryl groups are essential for dicarboxylate transport and that they may be located at or near substrate binding sites of the transporters in renal brush border and basolateral membranes.